To Be
by KayDrew
Summary: Sequal to In the House of Healing with Merry
1. Chapter 1

Title: To Be (part 1)

Summary: Sequal to Infinite Abyss. Pippin gets some hope in a bleak time in his life and even happiness

Rating: G

Characters: Pippin/Gandalf

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pretainting to Lord of the Rings.

A hobbit just out of his tweens hurriedly followed behind a man dressed completely in white. The lad's hair was a mass of brown curls that bounced as he walked. He was dirty, though he had just bathed. The half-ling was dressed in Gondorian guards clothing. It fit him all most perfectly – the only thing that did not fit was his shirt, which was only one size too big and his black and silvery white cloak drug the ground ever so slightly.

His emerald green eyes were furrowed slightly in confusion and worry. He was being lead somewhere and he had naught an idea why or where. He wished he would just be left alone and to be aloud to go back to the House of Healing. The hobbit – Pippin – had been told to leave there three days ago and had not been aloud to return. It infuriated him. What if it was Merrys' last few days and Pippin wasn't there? Pippin felt he _should_ be there. In fact, it was tearing him up inside for not being there.

The lad sighed in exasperation. He stopped suddenly. With crossed arms he asked to the white cloaked being, "Where are we going, Gandalf?"

The wizard turned slowly to face the hobbit. He smiled at the hobbit. His blue eyes crinkled up merrily as he did so. "Tis a surprise your Peregrin Took. You will find out shortly. Just be patient – if you can." Gandalf replied as he turned and strode briskly down the long candle-lit hall.

Pippin made a funny sound and followed Gandalf. Pippin was hardly what you called patient. He hated waiting for anything, especially surprises – he liked to know things as soon as he heard about them.

The rest of the way they went in silence. Pippin was deep in thought at what it could be Gandalf was leading him. He came up with various ideas of what they could be. Each one was more ridiculous then the next. _Perhaps it is a room of mushrooms_, Pippin thought, _That would be nice. Or maybe it is a room of pipeweed. No, I do not think so. Merry would prefer that more then me._

Pippin sighed heavily and then sniffed. He looked at his feet. The quick pace had slowly and now Pippin was only shuffling through the halls. The lad did not even look at his surroundings; he just listened to the footfalls of Gandalf to lead him to wherever they might be going. He only looked up when he heard Gandalf stopping and opening a door. Pippin blinked as he peered around Gandalf so that he might be able to see what was lurking in the room, however Pippin could not see anything except a long table. Pippin rubbed his hands together in anticipation, but there was more to what was there then he expected.


	2. To Be Part 2

Title: To Be (Part 2)

Summary: Part 2 of the Sequal of Infinate Abyss.

Rating: PG (for angst)

Characters: Pippin/Gandalf and breifly, Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn.

"Come Pippin, lad," Gandalf said to him. The wizard turned quickly to face the hobbit. "Your surprise awaits you." He placed a gentle hand on Pippins shoulder.  
"Will I like my surprise Gandalf?" Pippin asked softly

"Oh, I think you will. Yes, yes – very well indeed." Gandalf muttered. The last part of the words were whispered, as if he was not speaking to Pippin directly.

Pippin smiled at Gandalf and felt nerves come over him.

"Shall we enter?" the whizard asked him.

Pippin nodded hurridly and Gandalf lead the hobbit into the room. The hobbit gasped when he entered the room. He was absolutely amaised.

The room was huge; in fact it was a hall. The hall was dressed in rich purples, reds, greens, golds, and blues. There was a long, oak table in the center of the hall with about 142 chairs on both sides and 2 at either end. Under the table and 144 chairs was a wool rug that was an inch longer then the table and was richly colored.

At the far end of the room was a hearth with a cheerful fire crackling in it and at one of its sides was a door- which lead to the kitchens. At the other side of the hearth were two leather chairs and a small couch that faced the fire – each of chairs had someone seated in them and on the couch was 2 beings, though Pippin did not know whom the figure was (at the time). The person in the chair nearer to the fire stood first and smiled at Pippin. "What has kept you, Mellon Nin?" the fair haired elven prince asked.

"Well…" Pippin began, but the being in the second chair interupted him.  
"Get yehself over here, laddie!" Gimli said, standing and hurrying over to Pippin and Gandalf.

Before Pippin could move willingly, Gimli has ushered him across the room and to the seating.

A third person stood and smiling, bowed slightly to Pippin. The lads' eyes widen and gulped. He wanted to bow – knew he should – but Gimli had a death grip on him at the moment. "Wh-what is going on?" Pippin whispered in a worried voice

Aragorn smiled and patted Pippin upon the shoulder. "Let go, Gimli," the future king whispered with a small chuckle.

"Sorry," Gimli whispered and let go of Pippins shoulder.

For a moment Pippin just stood there, rubbing his shoulder, though soon he decided he should move. Quickly, he manuvered himself around the couch and then stopped. His eyes widen and tears came into his eyes.

"Oh my…." He whispered, putting a hand to his mouth.


	3. To Be Part 3

Title: To Be (Part 3)

Summary: Where Pippin gets an invitation and is pondering about Merry

Rating: G

Characters: Pippin, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Eowyn, Eomer, and Merry

"Oh my," Pippin whispered again. Tears came into his eyes and he swallowed hard. The lad felt his knees feel like jelly. Before he hit the ground, strong, familiar arms caught him and sat him down on the couch. The being sat down beside Pippin, smiling broadly, with tears in his eyes.

"Oh Merry," Pippin whispered as he threw his arms around his pale, but healthy looking cousin, "I-I thought ye had died. Th-they would not let me see you."

The elder hobbit stroked Pippins curly brown hair tenderly with his left hand. "Shush." Merry cooed, "Don't fret any more, dearest cousin. Everything is all right. See? I am here and alive."

The elder hobbit let the younger out of his embrace so that Pippin could get a good look at him. Merry was pale - though not deathly so - and thinner, but there was a lot of life in his brown eyes and a kind smiled upon his lips.

Pippin smiled back at his cousin. "How is the arm though?" he asked

"Tis well, Pip, tis well," Merry said. The elder hobbit did not know that it would never fully heal and as the others of the fellowship listened to the conversation, they did not butt in and tell them the truth. The four of them figured they would find out soon enough in the future and that it would be in vein to tell them and it would be something that would dampen the two hobbits' spirits (which for Merry was a very bad thing), so they let them be.

"How are you, Pip?" Merry asked with raised eyebrows

"Good, now that you are up and better." Pippin replied wiping his eyes of a few tears, "I thought I had lost you for good."

Merry shook his head and then ruffled his cousins' hair. "You will not loose me so easily, Peregrin." He replied, standing slowly, "Shall we eat?"

Pippin nodded eagerly and helped Merry to the dining table. Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn saw them seat themselves and chuckled. Each of them joined in soon after and then Eowyn and Eomer joined them. They both looked very grim and were silent through most of the meal – mostly listening to the stories told. The feast went for hours and only when the last scrap of food was gone did anyone push their plates away. They would have stayed and talked more, however Gandalf, noticing Merrys fatigue, dismissed them all.

"Shall I lead you back to the house of healing?" He asked Merry.

Merry shook his head. "No, I can find my way – thank-you." He replied standing.

Pippin stood as well and followed Merry to the house of healing. Merry undressed and got into a nightshirt and clambered into bed. Peregrin got into a chair and looked at his cousin with adoring eyes. Merry looked back at him and in a quiet voice asked, "Will you tell me a story, Pippin?"

The younger of the two chuckled and nodded. "Yes," Pippin responded remembering when he was younger how Merry would tell him stories. "Once there was a hobbit who loved the sea…" Pippin began in a murmur.

"Much like you," Merry whispered with a small smile as he settled into his bed.

"Yes," Pippin replied with a small sigh, "Well, this hobbit – Drogo – he loved the sea so much that he decided on his fortieth birthday that he would take a trip to the sea. Everyone thought he was crazy, especially his wife. She did not want him to go on such a journey. It was very dangerous and there was a possibility that the hobbit would never return. His wife, Lila, begged Drogo over and over to stay. 'Please stay,' she would cry, 'Tis dangerous!'

'Oh Lila, m' dear, I will be just fine,' Drogo replied every time she cried this to him – even on the day he left…"

Pippin paused and looked at his cousin. He smiled and whispered, "I'll finish later." Merry had fallen asleep and for the first time, Pippin was not fearful of him passing.


End file.
